Independence Day Fun Facts

This morning while watching Good Morning America, I read that 42% of Americans do not know what year the Declaration of Independence was signed. I find this very tragic. Isn’t that something you learn by the third grade? It’s really unbelievable. I guess for most Americans this is just another day off. A day to get together with friends and family have a BBQ and watch fireworks. It’s very sad that so many Americans do not even know what we are celebrating today. So, in light of this fact I decided to post some fun facts about the Declaration of Independence.

On a side note, I found it quite ironic that Good Morning America spent so much time covering Prince William and Kate and their trip to Canada today. As it was their ancestors who we declared independence from on this day in 1776. I don’t know why people are obsessed with British royalty anyway, isn’t that what we were trying to get away from?

From purpletrail.com:
On July the 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Thereafter, the 13 colonies embarked on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. This most American of holidays is traditionally celebrated with parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

4th of July History & Trivia -Did You Know…

The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.

In May, 1776, after nearly a year of trying to resolve their differences with England, the colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Finally, in June, admitting that their efforts were hopeless; a committee was formed to compose the formal Declaration of Independence.

Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented the first draft of the declaration to Congress.

Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.

Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.

Before cars ruled the roadway, the Fourth of July was traditionally the most miserable day of the year for horses, tormented by all the noise and by the boys and girls who threw firecrackers at them.

The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826.

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.

The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.

Thomas McKean was the last to sign in January, 1777.

The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”. This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.

In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

Independence Day Trivia & Facts – An Inspired America:
Thirty places nationwide with “liberty” in their name. Liberty, Missouri (26,232) boasts the highest population of the 30 at 26,232. Iowa has more of these places than any other state at four: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

Eleven places have “independence” in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Missouri, with 113,288 residents.

Five places adopted the name “freedom.” Freedom, California, with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these.

There is one place named “patriot” — Patriot, Indiana, with a population of 202.

And what could be more fitting than spending the day in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, with 21,941 residents.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”-The Declaration Of Independence

From IndependenceDayfun.com:
-The Declaration of Independence 4 of July, 1776.
• The United States Declaration of Independence is an act of the Second Continental Congress.
• The United States Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776
• The United States Declaration of Independence declared that the Thirteen Colonies in North America we “free and independent states.”?
• The Declaration explained the justifications for separation from the British crown.
• It was also an expansion of Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution which had been passed on July 2.
• The Declaration of Independence is on display in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.
• The Declaration of Independence is considered to be the founding document of the United States of America
• Americans celebrate Independence on July 4 which was the day that the Declaration was adopted.
• John Hancock was the first and only person to sign the Declaration on July 4, 1776.
• John Hancock was the President of the Continental Congress at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• The remaining 54 delegates did not sign the Declaration until August 2, 1776.
• The Second Continental Congress formed a committee known today as “The Committee of Five. It consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
• The Committee of Five was to come up with a draft for the Declaration. The Committee decided that Jefferson would write the Declaration.
• The Committee of Five first presented the document to Congress on June 28, 1776.

That’s my two cents.

Homemade Lemon and Peach Yogurt

Yesterday Michael came over and we made 6 quarts of plain yogurt. Today he brought his family over to finish the yogurt. We made a lemon curd (Michael's favorite yogurt is lemon) and added it to 3 quarts of yogurt. We also added a packet of plain gelatin. To make it a little bit thicker.

We also made a peach curd using the syrup from the canned peaches. Most of those we made fruit on the bottom yogurt. With 1 quart plus half a pint of mixed peach. Here are the pictures.

lemon curd and peach curd

lemon and peach curd with 6 quarts of homemade yogurt behind it

adding the yogurt to the lemon curd

mixing the yogurt with lemon curd

making fruit on the bottom peach

final result: 4 quarts lemon yogurt. 6 pints peach fruit on the bottom yogurt. 1 quart +1/2 pint peach mixed yogurt.

Recipe for lemon curd:
Easy Lemon Curd

Ingredients

1 cup cold water
4 Tablespoons (¼ cup) cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons butter
3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Directions

Combined cold water with cornstarch. Mix together sugar, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest in heavy bottomed saucepan. Pour in cornstarch mixture.

Bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter.

Chill or cool before using.

We doubled the recipe of lemon curd to add to our three quarts of homemade yogurt.

For the peach yogurt we used a number 10 can of peaches. Using the same recipe as the lemon curd replace the lemon juice and water with the syrup from the peaches. Add only one cup of sugar instead of two. (Double recipe again). Mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Optional food coloring: two drops red, three drops yellow.

Recipe for homemade yogurt is found in a previous post.

Relief Society Lesson -- You Are My Hands

I did a horrible job presenting my lesson today in Relief Society. But nonetheless, here are my notes.

You Are My Hands
Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
April 2010 General Conference

Our Hands Can Embrace

Luke 18:9-14

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellowmen.

Our Hands Can Comfort

It is unworthy of us as Christians to think that those who suffer deserve their suffering.

Our Hands Can Serve

This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves, seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us.

True Love Requires Action

We can speak of love all day long…but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life.

We Can Love As He Does

Jude 1:12

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Without this love for God the Father and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church—without the substance.

As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

Homemade Neufchâtel And Ricotta

This is our first attempt at making a soft cheese. We made Neufchâtel. And out of the left over whey we made ricotta. You may ask, "what is Neufchâtel?" It is basically the same thing as cream cheese except is just made out of whole milk. Cream cheese is made with whole milk and cream. Neufchâtel is the same as soft goat cheese. We used whole cow's milk from the grocery store. I won't take the time to explain how to make it right now.

this is Neufchâtel right out of the cheese cloth.

We sampled it on some crackers and you would never know it wasn't made with cream. It's very creamy and delicious.

Then we attempted to make ricotta cheese from the left over whey. Ricotta means re-cooked or twice cooked. Basically all you do is bring the whey to almost boiling 185°F. (It must be acidic so you can let the whey sit on the counter for a day or Add a little vinegar) Take off heat Strain through cheese cloth for a couple of hours. Don't laugh too hard at our ricotta cheese.

we didn't get much yield. :-(

Homemade Buttermilk and Yogurt

I have been interested in cheesemaking and have done quite a bit of research on it. Most people suggest trying to make yogurt or buttermilk first. So we did just that.

Buttermilk is super easy to make. Because the bacteria in buttermilk are mesophilic there is no heating required. Mesophilic bacteria thrive at room temperature (68°F-72°F). So, to make buttermilk you just pour about three quarters of a cup or 6 ounces of fresh buttermilk from the grocery store or your own homemade buttermilk into a quart jar and fill it up with regular milk (we used whole milk) cover and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours until clabbered (thickened). If it does not clabber in 36 hours then, your culture was dead. You can still use the milk for baking.

I don't have a picture of the buttermilk we made, but it turned out great. If your buttermilk is a little older that you will be using for a culture then add 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup. The longer the buttermilk is in the fridge the more bacteria die off. Because buttermilk is so acidic it will last much longer than regular milk in the fridge.

Use buttermilk in place of milk or water in baking recipes. Especially those that use baking soda. The resulting baked goods will be moister. The baking soda likes the acidity and will help raise the batter/dough more.

My sister-in-law made the most delicious buttermilk waffles using our homemade buttermilk. They were so moist and fluffy. Much better than pancake mix.

Okay now on to the yogurt. The bacteria in yogurt are thermophilic which means they are heat loving. They prefer temperatures closer to body temperature. Which is why yogurt is good for your digestive system.

Making yogurt is slightly more difficult than making buttermilk but still pretty simple.

Here's what you do:

Heat milk (we used 3 quarts) to 185°F or just before boiling. This serves two purposes. First, to kill any unwanted bacteria in the milk/pot. Second, to unravel the protein a little bit which makes the resultant yogurt more creamy. Once again, we used whole milk. But 2%, 1% or skim would also work. The results will not be as creamy as whole milk.

Cool the milk down to approximately 110°F. Do this by setting pan in a sink full of ice water. It will cool down rapidly. Do not inoculate the milk above 125°F. It will kill the bacteria that make the yogurt.

Once the milk has cooled to 110°F add 1/4 cup plain yogurt. Make sure the yogurt contains active live cultures. The fresher the yogurt the better. The more bacteria will still be alive. I've heard Dannon plain yogurt works best. We actually couldn't find that at our grocery store. So we used Dannon plain Greek yogurt. Which worked great. The cultures are the same, which is really all you‘re using the plain yogurt for, to inoculate your milk.

After inoculating milk, stir thoroughly to mix cultures throughout. Pour mixture into sterilized quart jars. Cover with sterilized lids. Place jars of yogurt on heating pad and turn on low. Some suggest medium. I guess it depends on your heating pad. We want to try to keep the yogurt at between 100°F and 120°F for several hours. Anywhere from three hours to about 15 hours. The higher the temperature say 120° the faster the yogurt will be done. But you are more likely to get graininess and whey separation. Using a lower heat around 100° will take much longer but the slower process will result in a creamy texture with less separation. The whey is the watery stuff you see when you open a carton of yogurt.

We left our yogurt on the heating pad for about 15 hours on low. The longer you leave it on the heat the thicker and more tart it will become. When the yogurt is done it will not be as thick as the commercial yogurt you buy at the store. Most commercial yogurt is thickened with gelatin, pectin, cornstarch, and/or other thickeners.

Alternative heating methods include:
Turning your oven to 100°F, if your oven will go that low. Put your yogurt in 100° oven overnight.

Igloo cooler with warm water (not too hot so you don’t kill the bacteria). Place your jars of yogurt in a water filled cooler and close the lid. You’ll periodically want to check the water temperature. If it gets too cool, add more warm water. Remember the water should be between 100°F and 120°F.

When the yogurt is done, place in refrigerator and let cool 3 to 4 hours before eating. It will also thicken a little as it cools.

At this point you can add whatever you like. We made a fruit on the bottom type sauce out of our home canned cherries. The cherries were drained and pitted and chopped. The liquid from the cherries was heated with a little sugar and cornstarch slurry until thickened. The cherries were added back to the sauce. The mixture was placed in the bottom of 16 ounce plastic freezer jam cups and topped with our homemade yogurt. Delicious!

To make Greek yogurt: add cream (about a pint) to ½ gallon milk. And make the same as above. When yogurt is done, instead of placing in refrigerator, place yogurt in a cheesecloth (flour sack towel or handkerchief) to drain the whey. Let drain for several hours or overnight. The results will be a much thicker, cheese like yogurt.

Stay tuned for our attempt at cheese making in the near future.

Calumny May Defame

I thought about blogging about The Book of Mormon Musical several times. I haven’t done it yet for several reasons. But in light of recent events, namely winning nine Tony awards, I have decided to put in my two cents.

I have purposely remained mostly uneducated about The Book of Mormon Musical. But I have read a few news articles and I’ve heard some things about certain members of the Church.

What I do know about The Book of Mormon Musical is that it profanely mocks my religion. That’s not cool. Why is this okay? Don’t we live in a world of political correctness? Would it be okay to mock other groups such as Muslims, homosexuals, blacks, etc.?

There would be uproars, riots, picketing, and worse. No other Broadway musical mocking a religion or any distinct group of people would be tolerated. Let alone win nine Tony awards.

I., for one, am disgusted. But that doesn’t matter because I’m just a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (a Mormon). It’s okay to persecute and mock me and my religion. Isn’t that what they’re telling us? By awarding nine Tony’s to The Book of Mormon Musical? So much for political correctness.

To throw salt into the wound, I read an article that during one of the acceptance speeches at the Tony awards, one of the writers mockingly thanked Joseph Smith.

Alma 5:30-32
30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!
32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

The Lord doesn’t mince words. That’s a pretty blunt warning.

I suppose we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, should be used to mockery and persecution. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why we haven’t made a big fuss over The Book of Mormon Musical. We have been mocked and persecuted since the restoration of The Church. Even in these days of extreme tolerance and political correctness mockery and persecutions still rage. And it will continue. It’s a sign of the times.

Joseph Smith said, “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

What really disturbs me is the members of the Church who actually pay money to support this trash in order to “fit in”. Whatever happened to being in the world but not of the world?

I, for one, would not want to be associated in any way with people who think The Book of Mormon Musical is funny or cool. Why would you want to “fit in” with people who profanely mock your religion, your core beliefs and values?

1 Nephi 8:26-28
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

The Book of Mormon Musical is not just distasteful, it is blasphemous mockery.

Doctrine and Covenants 63:58 For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days.

That’s my two cents.

FHE -- Scriptures/Scripture study

We had our monthly family home evening/family dinner yesterday. I had the opportunity to present the lesson. I chose the subject of Scriptures and scripture study. I explained a little bit about what each of the standard works were and their origin. I gave the kids coloring pages to keep them occupied. I had my musician brother help me teach the songs I learned in seminary to remember the books in the Old Testament and book of Mormon and he also taught them the New Testament song. I made a matching game to match the books in the scripture with the appropriate standard work. I even made open book because I really just wanted people to learn and be familiar with the standard works in the books included in each. Then we had a fun scavenger hunt which I think everybody enjoyed. And I issued a challenge to each family to read the book of Mormon together as a family and gave them a chart to record their progress. And also I issued an individual challenge and give everybody their own chart to mark their progress printed on colored card stock. Here is my lesson plan:

Tammy’s family home evening lesson -- Scriptures -- June 5, 2011

Opening song: The Iron Rod #274
Opening prayer: Dad

Give kids coloring page.

Explain history of and short synopsis of each of the standard works.

Teach song of the books of the Old Testament. Teach song of the books of the Book of Mormon.

Read story about family scripture study.

Give scripture study matching test.

Do scripture scavenger hunt.

Closing song: Book of Mormon Stories
Closing prayer: Mercedes

Notes:

From gospel principles:

President Ezra Taft Benson helped us understand how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. He said:

“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.

“The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. …

“[It] broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. The Book of Mormon … was written for our day. In [it] we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. …

“The Book of Mormon teaches us truth [and] bears testimony of Jesus Christ. … But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life,’ and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. … ‘Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit’ ” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, pp. 4–7; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, pp. 5–7).

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations. In section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord reveals that the book is published to the inhabitants of the earth to prepare them for his coming:

This book contains the revelations regarding the Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored in these last days. Several sections of the book explain the organization of the Church and define the offices of the priesthood and their functions. Other sections, such as sections 76 and 88, contain glorious truths that were lost to the world for hundreds of years. Still others, such as sections 29 and 93, shed light on teachings in the Bible. In addition, some sections, such as section 133, contain prophecies of events to come. God has commanded us to study his revelations in this book: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled” (D&C 1:37).

The Pearl of Great Price contains the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and some inspired writings of Joseph Smith. The Book of Moses contains an account of some of the visions and writings of Moses, revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in June and December 1830. It clarifies doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives added information concerning the creation of the earth.

The Book of Abraham was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith from a papyrus scroll taken from the Egyptian catacombs. This book contains valuable information about the Creation, the gospel, the nature of God, and the priesthood.

The writings of Joseph Smith include part of Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible, selections from his History of the Church, and the Articles of Faith.

From the family home evening resource manual:
If you do not have a regular program for scripture study in your family, use the following personal experience related in the April 1975 general conference by Bishop H. Burke Peterson to help your family begin one:

“May I relate a personal experience from the Peterson family. Several years ago after wrestling with the problem for some time, my wife and I, sensing the urgency of our parental charge, devised a new battle plan. You see, up to that point, Satan had been winning the battle of ‘Should we or should we not read the scriptures together in the Peterson home?’ We had tried off and on for years with no sustained success. Our big problem was that someone or something always interrupted our schedule. With a 17-year spread in our children’s ages, we felt we had a special challenge.

“As we studied and prayed over it, we concluded that the best time for our family of girls to read would be when no one else wanted our time. Since the older girls had to be in seminary by 7:00 a.m., our controllable time had to be early. We decided on 6:15 in the morning. We knew it would be a challenge to get teenage support. The idea was good, but its implementation was most difficult and it still is. Our family is still struggling.

“Our great new plan had its birth one hot August day in Phoenix, Arizona. My wife suggested we give them a whole month to think about it and prepare for it. We went about their mental preparation in a very positive way. The plan was to start the first day of school in early September. To their protests that it was impossible to have their heads all filled with rollers in time, or that it was not likely they would feel happy so early in the morning, or that they might be late to seminary, or not have time to eat breakfast either, we replied very cheerfully that we knew they were clever enough to cope with any minor problems that might arise.

“At its announcement, we also told the girls we had been praying for guidance in this family problem. This made it easier, because they had been schooled in prayer and had been taught not to question its results.

“The historic first morning finally came. My wife and I got up a little early so we would be sure to be wide awake and happy. Our initial approach must meet with success. We entered each bedroom singing and happy at the thought of the prospects before us. Purposely we went to one special bedroom first. Here slept a daughter who would be able to get up early but who couldn’t wake up before noon. We sat her up in bed and then went to the others and started them all into the family room. Some stumbled, some fell, some had to be carried in, some slept through that first morning—and I might say through subsequent mornings too.

“Little by little, we have learned over the years what reading the scriptures 15 minutes each morning can do for our family. You should know that we don’t try to discuss and understand each point we read. We try to pick out only a couple of thoughts each morning to digest. You should also know we still have to struggle with the plan’s performance, even though we now have only two children at our home.

“Can you imagine how a parent would feel to ask a little girl, ‘What did King Benjamin mean when he said, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”?’ (Mosiah 2:17.) And she would respond, ‘I suppose he means that I shouldn’t be selfish and should do little things for my sisters because it makes Heavenly Father happy—and Daddy, I want him to be happy with me, so I’m going to try harder.’ Innumerable are the blessings that will accrue to the family that persists in this noble effort of reading the scriptures together daily.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1975, pp. 79–80; or Ensign, May 1975, p. 54.)

Quotes

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)
“If I were a bishop or stake president today, what would I do? … I would encourage my people to read the scriptures, to read the Book of Mormon, to read the New Testament. I would urge them with all the capacity I have to read quietly and thoughtfully and introspectively.”
“I hope that for you this will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; that, rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God.” February 2009 Ensign, David B. March “Getting the Most Out Of Your Scripture Study”

Cheryl C. Lant-general primary president:
And what of our children? How blessed is the child whose parents base their lives on the teachings in the scriptures! There is absolutely nothing more important we can do for our families than to strengthen them in the scriptures. Parents, call your families together to read the scriptures, and work to make it possible in your busy family schedules. Children, respond quickly and happily when you are called to scripture study.
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave us an invitation, but he also gave us promises if we choose to accept. He promised “an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”
October 2005 general conference, Cheryl C. Lant

Elder Howard W. Hunter :
“Many find that the best time to study is in the morning after a night’s rest has cleared the mind of the many cares that interrupt thought. Others prefer to study in the quiet hours after the work and worries of the day are over and brushed aside, thus ending the day with a peace and tranquillity that comes by communion with the scriptures.
“Perhaps what is more important than the hour of the day is that a regular time be set aside for study. It would be ideal if an hour could be spent each day; but if that much cannot be had, a half hour on a regular basis would result in substantial accomplishment. A quarter of an hour is little time, but it is surprising how much enlightenment and knowledge can be acquired in a subject so meaningful” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 91–92; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 64).

Scriptures Matching Game
Name:_____________________

Scriptures Matching Game

Match the following books of Scripture with the following:

A. Old Testament
B. New Testament
C. The Book of Mormon
D. The Doctrine and Covenants
E. The Pearl of Great Price

1 Leviticus
2. Helaman
3. Matthew
4. Abraham
5. Haggai
6. 1 Corinthians
7. Ether
8. Job
9. Omni
10. Deuteronomy
11. Revelation
12. Malachi
13. Section 76
14. Moses
15. Joshua
16. Luke
17. 2 Thessalonians
18. Jarom
19. The Articles of Faith
20. 3 Nephi
21. Ezekiel
22. Official Declaration -- 2
23. John
24.Joseph Smith History
25. Mosiah
27. Esther
28. Official Declaration -- 1
29. Zechariah
30. Hosea
31. Jacob
32. Genesis
33. Ruth
34. Words of Mormon
35. Hebrews
36. Enos
37. Moroni
38. Jonah
39. Nehemiah
40. Proverbs
41. Mormon
42. Section 137
43. Joseph Smith -- Matthew
44. Philemon
45. Judges
46. 2 Nephi
47. Titus
48. Exodus
49. Acts
50. Isaiah
51. Alma
52. Colossians
53. Ecclesiastes
54. Ezra
55. Section 43
56. James
57. 4 Nephi
58. Galatians
59. 2 Samuel
60. Romans


Scripture Scavenger Hunt
by Kimberly Hicken

Here is a game that you can play during family home evening, scouts or youth. Divide into two teams. [We had four teams] Give each team a copy of the scriptures listed, a copy of the standard works of the Church, and a bag to put their "treasures" in. Each team looks up the first scripture and reads it carefully to discover what they need to find that will fit into their sack. After they find the first object, they read the second scripture and find that object, and so on. Each scripture will tell them what they need to find, except number ten, which has special instructions. The first team to collect all nine items and complete clue number ten wins.

1. Matthew 7:25
2. Psalm 102:11
3. Jeremiah 8:8
4. Doctrine & Covenants 45:37
5. Mark 10:38
6. Ezekiel 37:16-17
7. Matthew 10:30
8. Exodus 3:5
9. Moses 1:41
10. Mosiah 2:17-18 To finish the game, do something this scripture is talking about.

After both teams have finished, share what you did for number ten with the other team.
Book of Mormon reading chart

I can't get the other chart to load onto my blog so here is a link where you can download it.Cartoon Book of Mormon Reading Chart



Key to scripture matching game

Name:_____________________

Scriptures Matching Game

Match the following books of Scripture with the following:

A. Old Testament
B. New Testament
C. The Book of Mormon
D. The Doctrine and Covenants
E. The Pearl of Great Price

1 Leviticus A.
2. Helaman C.
3. Matthew B.
4. Abraham E.
5. Haggai A.
6. 1 Corinthians B.
7. Ether C.
8. Job A.
9. Omni C.
10. Deuteronomy A.
11. Revelation B.
12. Malachi A.
13. Section 76 D.
14. Moses E.
15. Joshua A.
16. Luke B.
17. 2 Thessalonians B.
18. Jarom C.
19. The Articles of Faith E.
20. 3 Nephi C.
21. Ezekiel A.
22. Official Declaration -- 2 D.
23. John B.
24.Joseph Smith -- History E.
25. Mosiah C.
27. Esther A.
28. Official Declaration -- 1 D.
29. Zechariah A.
30. Hosea A.
31. Jacob C.
32. Genesis A.
33. Ruth A.
34. Words of Mormon C.
35. Hebrews B.
36. Enos C.
37. Moroni C.
38. Jonah A.
39. Nehemiah A.
40. Proverbs A.
41. Mormon C.
42. Section 137 D.
43. Joseph Smith -- Matthew E.
44. Philemon B.
45. Judges A.
46. 2 Nephi C.
47. Titus B.
48. Exodus A.
49. Acts B.
50. Isaiah A.
51. Alma C.
52. Colossians B.
53. Ecclesiastes A.
54. Ezra A.
55. Section 43 D.
56. James B.
57. 4 Nephi C.
58. Galatians B.
59. 2 Samuel A.
60. Romans B.

Relief Society Lesson -- Obedience to the Prophets

Obedience to the Prophets
Elder Claudio RM Costa
October 2010 General Conference

Prophet: “A person who has been called by and speaks for God. As a messenger of God, a prophet receives commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God”

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets -- Amos 3:7

The Lord promised us that if we believe in the holy prophets, we should have eternal life. -- see D&C 20:26

From Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, 1980 "14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet":

1: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything

2: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works

3: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet

4: The prophet will never lead the Church astray

5: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time

6: The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture. . . .

7: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know

8: The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning. . . .

9: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual. . . .

10: The prophet may be involved in civic matters. . . .

11: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich. . . .

12: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly. . . .

13: The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church. . . .

14: The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the first presidency—follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer

Interesting Side Effect

There are certain unpleasant things that go along with having a spinal cord injury and being quadriplegic. One of them is involuntary muscle spasms. For me, these occur on a regular basis, several times a day. They are often the result of being touched or moved. But can also occur spontaneously. For no apparent reason. Probably coinciding with internal noxious stimuli (or external for that matter).

Spasms are not pleasant. For me they feel like getting punched in the stomach by Mohammed Ali. Another manifestation is the feeling of elephants sitting on me, making it harder to breathe. I know, by now you’re probably thinking I’m even more loony than you previously thought.

I’m not posting this to complain, but rather to relate an interesting correlation.

Last week I suffered a fierce bout of what I think was food poisoning. I was very sick for a few days. I haven’t had very many acute systemic illnesses (such as the flu) in the past eight years. But the few that I have had, I have noticed an interesting side effect. My spasms go away.

In fact, that’s a way that I can gauge how sick I really am. When the spasms disappear, I know I’m pretty sick. When the spasms start coming back, I know I’m on the mend. In fact, this time around I still felt pretty sick when the spasms returned, and I told my mom, “It looks like I’m getting better.”

I don’t know if there have been any studies done on this particular phenomenon. Or, if maybe, it’s something unique to me. It would be interesting see a study done. But, at any rate, it’s a welcome side effect. Although I would much rather not be sick and suffer the spasms. It’s nice to have some relief from the daily nuisance of spasms while suffering from acute illness.

That’s my two cents.

David O. McKay Tidbits

Yesterday I watched “Inspiring Lives” on BYU TV. David O. McKay was the subject of this particular episode. There were some really interesting tidbits about him that I learned. I wish I could remember all of them but I will relate a few that I somewhat remember.

David Oman McKay served as Prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for nearly 20 years. From 1951 to 1970. He died in January and I was born in December. I like to think that perhaps we met in passing as he just graduated and I was just embarking on my mortal journey.

I wanted to share with you a few of the stories I remembered from the documentary I watched yesterday. I don’t have the greatest memory so I will do my best to be accurate.

The story goes that a newspaper photographer, I think it was the New York Times, was told to get a few photos of David O. McKay arriving at the airport. The reporter was gone for several hours in what was supposed to be a quick assignment. Upon returning to the newspaper office his superiors were quite upset that was gone so long and “wasted” so much film, materials and time. They asked him why he was gone so long and took so many pictures. His reply was that ever since he was a little boy his mother taught him about Old Testament prophets and he always wondered what a prophet would look like. And what it would be like to be in the presence of a prophet of God. He told them that day he found out.

During the filming of “The 10 Commandments” Cecil B. DeMille was working with Arnold Friberg who was helping with costume design. I guess Arnold Friberg introduced Mr. DeMille to David O. McKay. Apparently the prophet made quite an impression on the filmmaker. In a commencement address at Brigham Young University, I believe it was 1956, Cecil B. DeMille said something to the effect of “David O. McKay almost persuaded me to become a Mormon”.

When President McKay was getting older it was harder for him to walk. One day he had the task of walking up a hill, I think it was for a temple dedication. As he began walking up the hill, two gentlemen on either side of him grabbed his arms to help him up the hill. Pres. McKay turned to them and said, “I can help one of you up this hill but not both of you.”

There was a black sister in South Africa who was married to a white man. Both of them were members of the church. Because of apartheid this sister was not able to attend church with her husband. She said that before she died she was going to meet the prophet. Pres. McKay felt like he needed to visit South Africa. When this sister heard about the prophet coming she asked the missionaries if there was any way they could take her to the meeting. Once again, because of apartheid, black people were not allowed to ride in cars with white people. So they rolled her up in a rug and took her in the car and sneaked her in to the meeting where she hid behind a pillar in the back of the building. After the meeting was over everyone cleared out of the building and the mission president told Pres. McKay it was time to go. Pres. McKay said, “No, there is still someone I need to meet”. They informed Pres. McKay that everyone was gone. He said, “No, there is still someone here I need to meet.” And he walked to the back of the building where he was able to meet this dear sister. She died three days later.

Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson telephoned President McKay and asked him to come to the White House. He said , “It’s not an emergency, I just need spiritual advice.” So, Pres. McKay flew to Washington DC to visit with Pres. Johnson. The documentary specified what Pres. Johnson asked and what Pres. McKay told him but I can’t remember.

There were many more stories that I can’t remember. These are a few that I remember that touched me. I hope I didn’t butcher the stories too badly. I hope that this gives you a little bit of insight into the life of the prophet, David O. McKay.

He truly was a remarkable and inspiring man. As are all the prophets.

That’s my two cents.

Easy Black Forest Cake

Black forest cake is my favorite. Cherries are my favorite fruit. And there's nothing like fresh whipped cream made from scratch. To me it tastes like ice cream without the ice. :-) And who doesn't like chocolate?

The whipped cream icing is much lighter and tastier than a heavy buttercream icing. I've never been a fan of butter cream icing.

Today I wanted to make a black forest cake. I had Dad mix the cake mix. Any chocolate cake mix will do. Devil's food, triple fudge, whatever you have on hand. We used a cake mix per round (9 or 10 inch) cake pan. We made a two layer cake so we used two cake mixes. After completely cooling, slice the top of the cake off to flatten. Reserve tops for cake crumbs. Place one layer on the cake platter. Mix up the whipped cream. 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Tip: put bowl and whisk in freezer for 10 minutes and use very cold cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. (Don't over beat lest you get butter). Frost bottom layer of cake with whipped cream. Open a can of cherry pie filling. Spoon cherries into center of cake on top of whipped cream. Leaving about 2 inches from the edge. Put second layer of cake on top. Finish frosting with whipped cream. Spoon more cherries in the center of top layer. Garnish with cake crumbs on the side of cake. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on sides and top. Enjoy!

I just sampled it, it is delicious! And super easy to make. Give it a try.

Bye-bye bin Laden

I have purposely avoided watching any news coverage of Osama bin Laden’s death. Not only because it happened on Sunday night, and I don’t watch any TV on Sunday except BYU-TV, but also because when the news breaks there are very few facts. The anchormen tend to ramble on and on about nothing. They don’t actually tell any news. And in the early stages of breaking news, a lot of the facts are wrong.

In addition to that, I was having a wonderful Sabbath. In the morning we went to my sister’s ward to attend my nephew’s priesthood ordination. It was extra special because it was my first nephew to receive the priesthood, and now my sister will have the priesthood in her home. Also, in the afternoon we had our monthly family home evening get-together. We enjoyed a super delicious roast beef dinner, then the lesson on gifts of the Spirit, and just enjoyed being together as a family.

I didn’t want to spoil such a wonderful day by watching a bunch of news people and politicians spouting off nonsense. I mean really, what more is there to know than the United States military forces killed Osama bin Laden? That takes what, about 5 seconds? I know, people like to know details. But really, when news breaks, details are not available. Wait a few days, let them get their facts straight. Believe me, it will be broadcast ad nauseam. You won’t miss anything by not watching breaking news.

Another interesting aspect which I will relate secondhand, because as I stated I did not watch any coverage. But early Monday morning when my mom came in to help me around 3 AM, she mentioned how prideful and arrogant our President of the United States is. She told me he was saying, “I did this, I did that, It was my decision to…”. Basically saying, “Give me all the glory”. Reminds me of someone else. I’ve always thought that those two share many qualities.

I find it hard to believe that the killing of Osama bin Laden, at this time, is not just a political maneuver aimed at advancing the political career of Barack Hussein Obama. I find it hard to believe that it would take the most powerful country in the world close to 10 years to find and kill Osama bin Laden. I believe that we, as United States citizens, are only fed information that the media/politicians want us to embrace.

That’s my two cents.

CES Fireside Tonight

Just a reminder that there will be a CES fireside tonight broadcast on BYU TV at five o'clock PDT. The speaker will be Rosemary M. Wixom. Set your DVR!

Five Reasons to Be Pleased with Myself

I, quite often, have times when I don’t sleep well. Some of my best thinking and inspiration comes during the wee hours of the morning when I can’t sleep. A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about things that are somewhat unique about me that I am proud of, or pleased with myself about.

Stating these things will only fan the fire of people’s perceived notion of my craziness or weirdness. But, that’s me.  So, I’ve decided to go ahead and mention a few. After all, I’ve never been one to care much about what people think of me.

1. I have never owned a cell phone. Yes, I am proud of that fact. Now, I must admit if circumstances were different now, I would probably own one. But, as things are, I have never owned a cell phone. One thing I have never understood about cell phones is, why would people want to be bothered when they don’t want to be bothered? Don’t you just want to get away sometimes? And not be able to be contacted 24/7/365. I know I used to like to go shopping or running to get away from the stress of everyday life. And get away from everybody. And, this coming from a single woman. I didn’t even have family life to contend with.

I’m even more proud of this fact because during my residency, out of the nine residents in my program, I was the only one sans a cell phone. I’ve always enjoyed being somewhat different. And, there was the dreaded on-call pager, so what did I need a cell phone for?

I understand the argument of convenience, and possible emergency helpfulness. But in all honesty, I think the negatives far outweigh the positives when it comes to owning a cell phone. How many times have you really used your cell phone for an emergency?

2. I have never seen “Titanic”. I know, this one is more obscure. But, the movie Titanic, was a big deal when it was released. “Everybody” was watching it. In fact, the big deal in Utah was to get your copy edited to remove “the bad parts”.

Well, besides the fact that I’m not really a big movie person, I had heard about “the bad parts” and decided not to watch it. It really wasn’t that big of a deal to me at the time . Since then, I have had several opportunities to watch the edited version. But for some reason I have prided myself in not watching this particular movie.

3. I have never had a Facebook account. I know most of you out there are Facebook freaks. And that’s one of the reasons I pride myself in not having a Facebook account, I like to be different. But more than that, I think social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace are a big waste of time. Not only that but are very detrimental to those who are addicted, and many families have broken up because of such addictions.

I know you want to argue that Facebook can be used for good also. And I’ll admit, I have thought about signing up for a Facebook account as a way to share my testimony. Plus it might be kind of fun to run across old friends and acquaintances. But in the end, I have stayed away for several reasons.

First, I don’t really care to know everything that goes on in everybody’s life. I don’t want to know that your baby just ate rice cereal and applesauce. I don’t care to know what stupid things my relatives, friends, and acquaintances do. It would probably just make me sad.

Second, cool people don’t do Facebook. I want to remain cool.

Third, I have heard of so many people wasting so much time and even money building pretend farms and growing pretend crops. A lot of people waste their life away living a pretend life. If you want to grow crops and raise farm animals, why don’t you do the real thing instead of pretending? Isn’t it sad how video games and living a virtual life can be so addicting?

4. I never attended a high school dance. You might think that this is something I would regret or be sad about. But the reality is that I’m very pleased and happy that I never attended a high school dance. In fact, I used to pray that nobody would invite me to a dance, because I didn’t want to have to turn him down. And thankfully, my prayers were answered. On the same note, I never attended any church youth dances either. And for that, I am also happy and pleased with myself.

My mom and I were talking yesterday and she mentioned that she had always wanted to become a dancer. I told her that dancing to me was like English. Something I dreaded, and avoided like the plague.

5. I have never run a road race. You might not think this is such a big deal because not too many people run Road races. But, in the family I grew up in, running road races was a typical Saturday morning activity. My dad and siblings have run many road races. And won many road races. And my mom and I have attended many road races especially during my teenage years. Running was a big part of our family life. In fact, my sister Juliet, was the high school state cross country champion in Utah her senior year. That’s a big deal because running is big in Utah and the competition is fierce.

I didn’t even start running until my mission and afterwards. And I only did it to stay in shape, and keep the weight off. Plus it was a great stress reliever. I wasn’t blessed with the running genes that my dad and siblings were blessed with. So, I guess I didn’t run competitively because I didn’t want to embarrass myself or the family name. “Stop embarrassing me” -U.R.. Plus, I never had that competitive fire.

These are a few of the things I thought about during my sleepless night , for which I am pleased with and proud of myself. None of which is really anything to be proud of, except in my own little world, for my own reasons.

So, think what you will, but I am happy that I never owned a cell phone, I never saw Titanic, I’ve never had a Facebook or MySpace account, I never attended a high school dance, and I never ran a road race.

That’s my two cents.

Relief Society Lesson -- Pride And the Priesthood

I wasn't going to post my Relief Society lesson this month. Because I already did a blog post for my family home evening lesson back in January which is much more detailed. But, I wanted to show a picture of the cute Easter egg soaps we made for the Relief Society Sisters as our lesson handout. We also attached a story called "The Empty Egg". I will attach the text to this blog post.

Since our lesson had nothing to do with Easter, I wanted to somehow tie Easter into the lesson. That's when I thought of doing the soaps with the story attached.

Come to find out, we weren't even supposed to teach yesterday. Nobody informed us otherwise, so I prepared my lesson as usual. I was assigned a General Conference talk for April. Anyway, I felt bad because someone else also prepared a lesson. Which probably would have been a much better lesson than the one I gave. Nonetheless, here are the notes from my lesson.

Pride and the Priesthood
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
October 2010 Gen. Conference

Every mortal has at least a casual, if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride.

I believe there is a difference between being proud of certain things and being prideful.

Pride Is the Sin of Self-Elevation

Alma 31:21-25
21Now the place was called by them Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the holy stand.

22Now, from this stand they did offer up, every man, the selfsame prayer unto God, thanking their God that they were chosen of him, and that he did not lead them away after the tradition of their brethren, and that their hearts were not stolen away to believe in things to come, which they knew nothing about.

23Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes, anever speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner.

24Now when Alma saw this his heart was agrieved; for he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse people; yea, he saw that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine goods.

25Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were alifted up unto great boasting, in their pride.

Pride is a deadly cancer.

Pride is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses.

Every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.

Despite His magnificent abilities and accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble.

We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves.

“Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion.” -Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, May 1989

“Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance.” -Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, May 1989

“Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves.” -Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, May 1989

“The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature.”-Pres. Benson May 1989

The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?”-Pres. Benson May 1989

“Some prideful people are not so concerned as to whether their wages meet their needs as they are that their wages are more than someone else’s. Their reward is being a cut above the rest. This is the enmity of pride.-Pres. Benson May 1989

"Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.-Pres. Benson May 1989

Story attached to the egg soaps:
The Empty Egg
By: Author Unknown

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher. One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students."

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face burned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically-all except for Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed.

Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket....... all of them empty.